Tecra Muigai inquest: Omar Lali to testify today
Mr Omar Lali in court on July 13, 2021.
The inquest into the mysterious death of Keroche Breweries heiress Tecra Wangari Muigai continues Tuesday at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, with her boyfriend Omar Lali expected to give his testimony over the incident that occurred on May 2, 2020.
Mr Lali was brought to court today by police, after he was summoned as a person of interest, and will testify before Senior Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul.
Mr Omar Lali in court on July 13, 2021.
Ms Abdul previously said he was being called to the court after being mentioned adversely by 11 people who had testified in the inquest so far. Mr Elisha Ongoya, the lawyer representing Ms Muigai’s family, said Mr Lali is a “compellable” witness and has a civic duty to testify.
Tecra fell from the stairs at a private house in Shella on Lamu Island, where she was staying with Mr Lali. She sustained head injuries and later died as she received treatment at a Nairobi hospital in May.
After his arrest, a subsequent murder case against Mr Lali was discontinued after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dropped the charges over lack of evidence, choosing instead to pursue an open inquest as "the best option".
If found responsible by the inquest, he could be arrested once again and charged, the judge in the previous case had noted.
Mother's testimony
Tecra's mother, Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja, told the inquest in March that her daughter had transferred more than Sh2 million into Lali’s accounts in a span of eight months.
She also said she found it strange that her daughter would pay bills for Mr Lali, then 50 years old, as she was the younger one in the relationship.
Ms Karanja's testimony was corroborated by Tecra's Personal Assistant Sarita Ikenye, who produced documents listing transactions to Mr Lali through M-Pesa and the bank account.
"Tecra used to direct me to send money to Mr Lali and her driver Mr Eric Cheruiyot," she said.
Ms Karanja further said that Tecra's relationship with the family became frosty as they asked her to end her association with Mr Lali due to the big age difference.
In her statement to the police, she said the family disapproved of the relationship after Tecra, then 30 years old, sent them photographs of Mr Lali in November 2019.
“As a mother I was shocked when I saw the photographs. I attempted to talk to her on phone and since we could not agree, her father and I opted to visit her residence in Naivasha,” she said.
“It was a Monday. The guards manning the entrance denied us access to her compound. Later, she called and arranged a meeting at Lake Naivasha County Club.”
Ms Karanja said they were also concerned as she was housing Mr Lali.
Tecra's driver
Another witness, Tecra's driver Mr Eric Cheruiyot, told the court for the nine months he worked for Tecra, she and her boyfriend never lived peacefully.
He said he witnessed many incidents of confrontation, noting that the couple moved around various cities and towns partying and having fun, but which ended up in serious fights.
He said he eventually quit his job since Mr Lali had made his working environment difficult by pocketing money sent to Ms Muigai from her family for upkeep and business ventures.
